When Fiat started to get a grip on Chrysler, there was very little chance of success. But to be fair, they are making a go of it. Sergio Marchionne is doing his best to integrate Fiat and Chrysler. Is he really?

Bloomberg reports that Sergio wants to use the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s platform to engineer SUV’s for Alfa Romeo and Maserati. “One of the things that we are now looking at in some detail is the possibility of utilizing this architecture and extending its application for additional products both within Chrysler and outside Chrysler,” said Sergio Marchionne. “Expect Chrysler products to be made by Fiat and Fiat products to be made by Chrysler.”

The Detroit News confirms the story and says that Marchionne’s timetable to add a Detroit-built Alfa and, possibly a Maserati using the Grand Cherokee’s platform is be between 12 to 18 months. Possible powertrains suggested by Marchionne were a turbo-charged, Pentastar V-6 engine. Marchionne even suggested using a Ferrari engine. How did people react? “That’s a gutsy move,” said Joe Phillippi of Autotrends.

Mind you, Mr Marchionne did state that Fiat and Ferrari wouldn’t use the Jeep platform. That’s a relief. A Ferrari SUV? That’d be ridiculous… On second thought, there are Lamborghini tractors, so why not?

How about a big honking macho SUV with a Hemi block with the heads and fuel injection designed by Ferrari? Go out and see if the there are any old Torqueflight transmissions from the 70’s left in the warehouse, and slap those in. Weld it together stiff as a brick, and pad the roll bar with some nice leather.

Introduce the thing on a Bering Strait to Terra del Fuego ‘the bats are chasing me’ run and I think it just might sell.

The more I think about it, the more I like it.

What do you get when you cross a Ram and a Prancing Horse? I don’t know but don’t piss it off…..

Well, Lamborghini started as a tractor maker. We’ve seen Maserati cross-breeding before: Citroen-owned Maserati = Citroen SM. Chrysler TC by Maserati. The latest Maseraitis might as well be Ferraris in drag. A Jeep-based Alfa Romeo might make sense viewed through the lense of a BMW X5 alternative.